The present invention relates to a polyolefin-based resin composition or, more particularly, to a polyolefin-based resin composition suitable as a material for shaping a carving block.
As is well known, wood, plaster and stone are some of the typical examples of the traditional materials of sculptures created by carving works. These materials, however, are not always quite satisfactory as a material for carving works, especially, when the carver has slight strength such as children or is a person with little experience in the art of carving. For example, material for carving works in the artistic education of children should not be too hard and brittle, have luster on the surface, be capable of giving a sharp edge by carving and be capable of being easily colored with an enamel paint, oil paint, oil color and the like. None of the traditional materials used in the carving works can satisfy all of these requirements simultaneously.
In place of or as a substitute for the traditional materials for carving works such as wood, plaster and stone, various kinds of synthetic resin-based compositions have been proposed as a material for shaping carving blocks including a composition composed of a polyolefin resin and an inorganic filler disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 38941/1974, a foamed polyethylene-based composition admixed with a calcium carbonate filler and polystyrene having a cellular structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 14772/1973, a composition composed of an atactic polypropylene, crystalline polypropylene, paraffin and lime disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai No. 132252/1976, a composition for wood-like synthetic composed of a high molecular-weight plastic, low molecular-weight plastic and inorganic filler disclosed in Japanese Patent Koaki No. 147380/1984 and so on. These recently proposed polymeric compositions are also not quite satisfactory as a material for shaping a block for carving works which can simultaneously satisfy all of the above mentioned requirements.